Rules of Ultimate
19. Safety Stoppages
- 19.1. Injury Stoppage
- 19.1.1. An injury stoppage, “Injury”, may be called by the injured player, or by any player on the injured player’s team.
- 19.1.2. If the injury was not caused by an opponent, the player must choose either to be substituted, or to charge their own team with a time-out.
Annotation: Injury substitution
The injured player must choose one of the two options provided; however if their team has no time-outs remaining, they must be substituted.
To ‘charge their own team with a time-out’ means that a time-out is deducted from those allowed for that half, however the team does not get the opportunity to discuss tactics or have a break as per a standard 75 second time-out.
If there is a dispute over who caused the injury, then the 19.1.3 is deemed to apply. If Player A is substituted for an injury, and then an additional injury substitution is required during the same point, Player A can return to play.
If an injury stoppage is called during a team time-out, the opposing team must be notified as soon as the injury is discovered.
- 19.1.3. If the injury was caused by an opponent, the player may choose to stay or to be substituted.
- 19.1.4. If the injured player had established possession of the disc, and the player has dropped the disc due to the injury, that player retains possession of the disc.
- 19.1.5. The injury stoppage is considered to have been called at the time of the injury, unless the injured player chooses to continue play before the stoppage is called.
- 19.1.6. If the disc was in the air when the injury stoppage was called, play continues until either a player establishes possession, or the disc hits the ground. If the injury is not the result of a foul by an opponent, the completion or turnover stands, and play restarts there after the stoppage.
Annotation: Injury stoppage and continued play
If an injury is called while the disc is in the air, as a result of a serious injury, and players stop to care for the severely injured player, it is reasonable to treat this as a technical stoppage and allow the disc to be returned to the thrower.
- 19.2. Technical Stoppage
- 19.2.1. Any player who recognises a condition that endangers players, including if a player has an open or bleeding wound, should call a technical stoppage by calling “technical” or “stop”. Play must stop immediately.
Annotation: Condition that endangers players
A player can call a Technical Stoppage to remove or adjust a potentially dangerous object (i.e. rock, metal, wood piece, glass) found in the playing field.
Extra: A receiver is not required to continue playing through a dangerous situation, such as a child wandering onto the field. In that case, the receiver should stop making a play on the disc in order to prioritize the safety of themselves and others, and the disc will be returned to the thrower once the dangerous situation is rectified.
Annotation: Open or bleeding wounds
A bleeding or exposed open wound is “effectively addressed” if it is covered with a dressing sturdy enough to withstand the demands of activity and able to prevent bodily fluids from coming in contact with other players. Any player whose clothing has blood on it must have the affected areas disinfected or must change the clothing before returning to play. Whether a player may return to play is determined by appropriate medical staff. If medical staff is not available, captains and coaches may agree that a wound has been effectively covered and any clothing issues have been addressed.
The stoppage should only be used to address the blood issue.
- 19.2.1.1. A team-mate, coach, or designated official, should actively alert players to any condition that endangers players.
- 19.2.1.2. A player who has an issue regarding an open or bleeding wound has seventy (70) seconds to effectively address the issue. If they need additional time to address the issue, they must choose either to be substituted, or to charge their own team with a time-out.
- 19.2.2. The thrower may call a technical stoppage during play to replace a severely damaged disc.
Annotation: Technical Stoppage for a severely damaged disc
A severely damaged disc is one that is cracked, torn, deeply gouged, creased, punctured or badly warped (“tacoed”); a slightly warped, wet or dirty disc does not qualify.
However an existing stoppage may be extended to correct a warped disc (rule 10.3).
- 19.2.3. After a technical stoppage called while the disc is in the air, or if play has continued unknowingly:
- 19.2.1. Any player who recognises a condition that endangers players, including if a player has an open or bleeding wound, should call a technical stoppage by calling “technical” or “stop”. Play must stop immediately.
- 19.3. If a player is substituted after an injury, or due to illegal or faulty equipment, the opposing team may also choose to substitute one player.
- 19.3.1. Substitute players take on the full state (location, possession, stall count etc) of the player they are substituting and may make a call on their behalf.
Steinar's comment (unofficial!): Injury on landing
Note that since you must have established possession of the disc before dropping the injury, and this requires you to have kept the catch throughout all the ground contact related to it (12.1.1 and annotation). This means that if you catch the disc, twist your ankle and then drop the disc to the ground due to that injury, it is a turnover (and, of course, a stoppage of play due to your injury).
You may attempt to claim that you established possession and then dropped the disc due to pain or similar; however, be aware that from an outside point of view, it often will not be at all obvious that you didn't just drop the disc. My advice is to hold on to the disc if you can, or you will be faced with the awkward situation of trying to have a subtle rules discussion while in strong pain (which I have seen players pull off, but it is rare).